IV

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Beta(s) :

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Co-Writer and Requester: Gib

Editing: ChaosInRush

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Outside the apartment was a narrow hallway, lined alternatingly by doors into more apartments and covered in graffiti. The overhead lights were recessed, flickering fluorescents and the floor was old, saggy carpet set on concrete. Some of the doors were old and broken too, replaced with a variety of make-shift board-doors and, in places, just layers of curtains. The walls themselves were a dull gray, lined on the top and bottom by dull yellow.

And in several places, splashed in bright red…

A half-dozen bodies lay all along the hallway. Gangers, just like the ones Victor had killed in the room. Each of them had lost their heads, literally, and lay slumped against the wall. Some had been carrying guns that lay on the ground beside them, and some bats. But none seemed to have realized anything was wrong before they'd died. The first face she saw, leaned up against a corner, looked surprised.

She… Stopped looking, after that, and just stared at her feet instead.

"Do not dally." Victor called over his shoulder, turning a dark eye back on her, "Or I will suspect something."

That made her heart race and she squeaked a quiet, "Sorry."

"Be better," he muttered, "not sorry."

"Y-Yeah…"

When they finally got outside, she could finally guess where they were at. What was almost funny was that they were only a block away from where the bastards had jumped her, she could even see the sign for the last pawn she'd visited. For the front, that was, but the alley that lead around to the back of the building it was in was only just around the corner. Which meant she knew that way, at least, but…

The fact they hadn't even bothered to take her very far was almost annoying, in a weird kind of way.

"What is wrong, girl?"

"Paz." She corrected before her mouth caught up with her aching brain. When it did, though, she flinched and stammered, "I-I mean, nothing. Just… Got distracted."

"By?"

"N-Nothing important…"

"That will only aggravate me, Paz." Victor rumbled lowly, turning a more threatening look on her, head dipped low so his eyes barely met her own under the edge of his hat. "Try again."

"I-I just…" Pissing him off didn't seem like a healthy choice so, after a second of panicked silence, she admitted, "I was just mad they only took me a block away, like… Like I wasn't even that big a risk to them. I mean, even just escaping and making a run for it."

"Would you have been able to get away?"

"If I got out of the apartment?" She asked and shrugged, "Sure. I know the area."

"So do they."

"Not like I do."

"No?"

"They're just… You know, thugs." She shrugged, almost numb under the man's withering gaze, "They troll the alleys, muggings and protection, but far as I know, that's it. They don't know things as well as I do 'cuz they don't need to. And…"

"And?" He cocked his head, shedding the threat he'd put into his posture as suddenly as he'd adopted it, and she shrugged.

"And they're idiots?"

"Hah." He snorted a raspy, quiet sound that she figured passed for a laugh and turned to step aside. "True enough. Lead the way, then."

"To…?"

"Your little associate." He said simply, "And the rest of what's mine. That which you stole, I might add."

"Ah…" There was that, yeah, and the way he said the last put a bit of frost up her spine. Nodding, she slipped by him and murmured, "Just follow me."

Someone like him knowing where her base was wouldn't matter so much as long as he didn't decide to just swat them both like ants. And if he did decide not to do that and just left, then they could always just move somewhere else. The subway station was secluded, and so far, unknown to anyone as far as she and Rachel knew. So it had been the perfect hodeout. But if someone like this could just walts in at any moment?

Well, that took some of the charm away from the moldy walls. Now didn't it?

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"Paz!" On instinct, Paz opened up her arms to accept the hug as Rachel came careening into her, pure relief written across every fiber of her being. But the moment the other girl wrapped her arms around her and squeezed, fire lanced up her sides and through her shoulder. She hissed, and Rachel yanked away like she'd been burnt, eyes wide.

"I-I'm fine!" She grunted, gritting her teeth and forcing out a smile in spite of the aching in her side. Side-eyeing the man just behind her, she said, "I, uh, got jumped. So a little bruised, but… I'm fine, really."

"Ah." Rachel was obviously worried, her voice low and eyes flicking up and down Paz's body, but they both knew not to make a thing out of it. At least, not in front of strangers. Quietly, Paz murmured, "Who is that…?"

"Someone dangerous." She answered, laying a hand on Rachel's shoulder and nudging her back into the room they stayed in. "We need to get the loot-"

"My artifacts." Victor corrected her, his voice looming over her from behind and sending a thrill of terror up her spine.

She flinched and turned to look up at him, less than a foot away from her and watching her with those sharp, fiery red eyes. Her eyes widened and she backpedaled through the door so fast that she tripped, and almost fell. Rachel got behind her though, and they fumbled through the door together. Victor followed them, unblinking and with his hands clasped behind his waist, until he blocked out the door and had them trapped inside.

Then he turned his head and quietly spoke, "Budhu."

"Yes?" A short girl said as she appeared, stepping out of the darkness while… It was hard to describe, but Paz could almost see tendrils of it snaking away from her, tugging off of her body like sticky string as she stepped forward.

"Where are my things?"

"The other girl, Rachel, from what I could coax out of her-" Paz shot her partner a glare as they straightened and she shrugged and mouthed an apology, "-put what she had in a bag over there, in the corner. Long as this little bird didn't lose anything…"

"She did." Victor said, sounding almost… Judgemental, even angry, in a cold sort of way, as he did. "Some base thugs took what was mine. I was forced to… Relieve them."

"Oh?" She asked coyly, cocking her head and raising an eyebrow.

Whatever the gesture meant, Paz didn't understand it. But Victor obviously did because he shook his head and said, "You needn't intervene. I taught a lesson to the local organization, and killed those who had personally trespassed. No risk of any… Echoes."

"Got it." Budhu nodded and slipped around them to head over to where they slept. There was a ratty sack there, one of the ones they'd used for the heist, and she plucked it off the ground with a little hum before coming back over and asking, "So we done here, boss?"

"You are." He nodded, "Leave us."

The woman turned to them and frowned, before she turned back to him and shook her head, "You're not-"

"No." He sighed and raised a hand, waving her off. "I'm not. Now go."

"Alright…" Budhu hesitated another second before she slipped around him and out the door, vanishing around the corner.

"Now, with all of that business dealt with, we come to the insignificant two of you." Victor sighed, reaching up with a hand to pull his coat open and slipping a hand into it. Paz's hands curled into fists and terror thrilled up her spine…

Until a little leather satchel bounced off her chest, and she fumbled to catch it.

"What…?"

"Open it." Victor ordered sharply. Terrified of him more than whatever could be in there, she did as she was told. Inside were rolls of thick, white cloth, little vials of liquid, cotton balls, and a sleek, silver metal case. Her brow furrowed, but Victor spoke before she could think about any of it. "Medical supplies, for your injuries."

"O-Oh…"

"You… Did know what that was, yes?" She flushed, ducked her head, and shot Rachel a look, and the man sighed almost wearily. "Of course not… Why would mere urchins know medical tape, sterilizers or a stimulant pack case when they saw one?"

"A what case?!" Rachel hissed, yanking the bag out of her hand and in turn yanking the little silver case out. It opened with a press of a button on the top of its case, and inside there were a dozen little needles with square tubes attached to their ends set into a velvet liner, set in alternating tips and bases to let them be packed in.

"Stimulant packs." Victor said, shrugging when they both shot him a look. "What? They're perfectly safe."

"And addictive, you son of a bitch!" Rachel hissed before Victor's scarlet gaze rolled onto her and she flinched and froze. Stammering, she murmured, "I-I mean…"

"Gangers will use these to hook girls." Paz stepped in, sliding in front of Rachel to hide her. Hurt or not, Rachel took the shield for what it was, and Paz couldn't blame her. Not when she'd offered it, anyway. Pushing on, she said, "Once girls are hooked, well… I'm sure you can imagine."

"I can." He nodded, and fell quiet for a moment, before he stalked forward and, when they flinched and backed away a step, sighed wearily and came to a stop. "I wasn't intending to 'hook' you, girl. I intended to help. And now that I have been reminded to account for the ignorance of the low-born…"

"What?" Paz growled as Rachel stepped back to her side, presenting their united front for all the good it would do. "What does that mean?"

"It means I can't trust you to tend to your own injuries." He explained, tugging his gloves taut and sighing. "Come now, find a seat. This won't take long."

Paz wanted to argue, to say she was fine, if only so that the man would leave. But… But just breathing hurt, every shallow breath sending lances of heat across her ribs. And her shoulder felt like it was molten. Enough she dreaded laying down to try and sleep on it. Not to mention her busted lip, and the little cut on her cheek, and so many other things. Things that she didn't want to risk getting infected, good luck up until now be damned.

And besides, she also didn't want to insult this man…

Who knew he wouldn't kill her for spitting on his offer of help?

"Fine." She murmured, shooting Rachel a look before she could argue. Turning back to him, she sighed, "Let's get this over with…"

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As the door opened, Budhu slipped in first with a tired little huff. Curious, Victor hummed, "Budhu?"

"I'm making tea." She grunted, slipping through the door in the hall a few feet from the door. The one that lead to the penthouse's kitchen. She left the door open and he followed, stepping into the fine enough kitchen and watching her set cups out on the kitchen island while a pot of water got started on boiling. "After this headache of a day I'm sure we could both use some. Hm?"

"I wouldn't say no." He nodded, moving to sit at one of the stools beside the island. While she worked on the tea, and pulled out some cookies to take with them, he fished the ring he'd gotten from the girl out of a safe pocket inside his jacket.

"Penny for your thoughts, boss?" Budhu asked, "Or are you thinkin' of finding a lucky someone to put that on?"

"You and I both know the disaster that would be." He sighed, answering the unasked question when she tapped the side of one of the cups, "Glühwein tea, if you please. Extra cinnamon with it."

"Gotcha."

"After, you may go for the night." He murmured, raising the ring to catch the light and watching the fire dance in the gemstone. "Relax with Jhin, or whatever else you like."

"And you?"

"I will be… Occupied, for the night." He answered, standing and turning for the other door. It lead into a simple living room he'd left more or less alone, with a couch, a low table in front of it, and a television set into the wall. He ignored it and headed for his equally sparse bedroom, pushing the door shut behind him before he sat on the edge of his bed, simply…. Staring at the ring in his hand.

Finally, he murmured, "It doesn't make sense…"

Reaching into his coat, he drew out a small case the size of his hand and sat it on the nightstand. Opening it, he drew out a small stand that he put the ring on, setting it in the light of the table-lamp, and then pulled out the loupe to look into the gem and inspect its fractaling patterns. They were consistent, webbing in amongst each other in a way that was clearly unnatural - at least for this world - and glowing, hot with power that writhed and twisted even as he watched it. The power was familiar, clearly of a ken beyond most beings.

So how did she have it?

"It's too valuable to allow to be lost." He murmured, "So why is it here? And why has someone else not come for it before now?"

More importantly, what does it do?

Curious, he laid a gently finger against the side of the ring and felt that familiar… Pull from it. Inside, the interlacing web of fractaled lattices burned brighter. As if fed by something. Fed by him, maybe?

"But why?" He hummed in thought, focused even as Budhu came, left his tea and went on her way before he had enough time to even properly register his presence. "Why create something that leaches power? It's not storing it, it's simply… Taking it, and dispersing it into the air. The dispersal pattern is fine, too. Almost invisible… Almost flawless…"

This, he decided, was intriguing and more.